Lichen, can only live in a pristine environment!
by Ptman

Comment:
DOF seems a bit shallow at this angle. Good color! DPz

Geothermic Activity
by Yomi

Comment:
Pretty cool although I'm not sure what I am looking at. Looks like fog with a chemical spill...I have to take your word for it. DPz

Pleasant Run
by muckpond

Comment:
Nice shot but a wee bit too busy. DPz

Faith
by arnit

Comment:
What great looks on their faces! Priceless! I only wish the woman in brown behind them wasn't there. I almost think you could have cropped right above their heads and still got the Santa effect. Really nice, especially for the season. I'm just not sure how well it meets the challenge. DPz

Stranded
by kevinswope

Comment:
Has the makings of a really great shot. The focus on the plant and leaves (?) makes it tough to see just what we are looking at. DPz

At the top
by aroque

Comment:
The reflection that goes across the middle is very distracting. I can't quite figure out what it is. DPz

Savannah
by Gekker

Comment:
Hi Carey, Greetings from the Critique Club };-)

Initial thoughts
Fairly clear shot of Savannah, shows motion but with no blur. Decent entry.

Composition/ Content

If this was not for the challenge you would probably be commended for getting Savannah in focus while moving. However this was a motion challenge and the head-on shot at quick speed shows very little if any blur. You can tell the dog is moving but only because he is in the air. It probably would have been better shooting the dog from the side showing the movement. He is a bit too centered as well.

Background
The background actually works well against the black coat. It is tough balancing something this dark against white but you pulled that off pretty well. The snow is a bit overexposed. The two things in the foreground could have possibly been cropped out but only if you could still tell that Savannah was off the ground.

Camera Work - Technical
Focus seems good and contrast is excellent for the difference in light and shadow you have here. The only thing I might have done was slow down the shutter speed a bit and probably shoot either from an angle or the side. That would have shown some of your motion and made it seem even more obvious. That black blur against the show may have really made an interesting shot.

Digital Processing - Technical
If you lightened the snow to get more contrast in the dog it was a bit too much. Once again, a really tough balance.

Fits The Challenge
Fits the challenge, but could have shown more motion.

My Opinion On The Photo I originally scored this shot a five. I think that it meets the challenge but could have been improved with a little cropping and a different angle. Good job, and keep up the good work.

DougPaz

Sitting on the Sidelines
by analogcereal

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club };-)

Initial thoughts
Interesting and creative shot, although it certainly meets the challenge, the motion is secondary. That makes it unique in my mind.

Composition/ Content

This is a really tough shot! You have the bright ice and the darkness surrounding it. You did a good job of keeping everything in focus. I am assuming that this was hand-held as it isn't the kind of place you take a tripod. Everything seem to move to the left including the models look. I think the shot may have been improved by cropping just right of the models head and just a little left of the dark skater. This would have removed the distractions of the green jacket on the right and the partial skater and brightest light on the left.

Background
As I mentioned above, the area to the right of the model is a bit distracting and I feel would be better removed. It also seems to blend into the model and make her darker. The lights are bright but not overly so and not bad under the circumstances.

Camera Work - Technical
I think you did a great job with the speed of the skaters. Just fast enough to blur but still keep some clarity. The overall tech work on this tough shot is excellent.

Digital Processing - Technical
Photo is very near the 150kb allowed and is clean. I would like just a bit more contrast or brightness on the models face but that may have been impossible without ruining the rest of the shot.

Fits The Challenge
Definitely fits the challenge well and like I said, in a unique way.

My Opinion On The Photo I originally scored this shot a seven. I think that it meets the challenge well and probably could have finished even higher than it did. Good job, and keep up the good work.

DougPaz

Old Mill Spillway
by Gallatin

Comment:
Greetings from the Critique Club };-)

Initial thoughts
Interesting composition, meets the challenge, light seems a bit off

Composition/ Content

Everything in the shot seems to draw me to the lower left. The falling water, the white froth and the angle of the falls. Unfortunately the lower left is the darkest area of the shot. I know that it would have taken coming back at another time of day to change the lighting but I really think it would have added to the shot to have the falls in the light or to have the entire shot under overcast conditions. I think there is just a little too much light on the right side of the shot.

Background
I don't know whether or not you tried this in portrait vs. landscape orientation. It seems like it may have worked a bit better and you could have cropped the high rocks on the right. But there may be something distracting just above the falls that you worked to keep out. Pretty good anyway.

Camera Work - Technical
Focus seems good and contrast is excellent for the difference in light and shadow you have here. The only thing I might have done was slow down the shutter speed a bit. That would have smooted some of your motion and made it seem even more obvious. 1/1000 shutter is pretty quick. If you just focused on the shadowed areas and slowed it down it may have really made a killer shot.

Digital Processing - Technical
I noticed that your comments were about equally divided on your border. I personally feel it may be just a little too much. A thinner or softer colored border may work better. I know that I am playing around with the new "border toy" available here. I even have a gray background that I try them on before submitting.

Fits The Challenge
Definitely fits the challenge well.

My Opinion On The Photo I originally scored this shot a seven. I think that it meets the challenge well but could have been improved a little to finish even higher than it did. Good job, and keep up the good work.

DougPaz

frozen in time
by FranziskaLang

Comment:
Lots of ice storms around. Very nice composition and color. Focus good too, excellent shot. DPz